The noh



(No Model.) N. JOHNSON.

WIGK ADJUSTER FOR UENTRAL DRAFT LAMPS. No. 564,018.

Patented July 14, 1896.

THE uonms PEIERS c0. mmouwm WASHINQYON. ac,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NIS JOHNSON, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE MERIDEN BRONZECOMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

WlCK-ADJUSTER FOR CENTRAL-DRAFT LAMPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 564,018, dated July14-, 1896.

v Application filedNovember 27, 1893. Serial No. 492,125. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Nls JOHNSON,- of Meriden, in the county of New Havenand State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement inWick-Adjusters for Central-Draft Lamps; and I do hereby declare thefollowing, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and theletters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of thisspecification, and represent, in

Figure 1, a view, partly in section and partly in side elevation, of ahanging lamp contain- .ing a wick-adjuster'constructed in accordanceclaims.

As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, my improvement is applied toahanging lamp, and constructed so as to be operated from beneath thesame, and comprises a draw-bar having an outer member A and an innermember A, a tubular operating-screw B, a bearing-tube C, and several adjunctive features, to be specified. The inner member A of the draw-barplays up and down through a bearing D, located in the top D of the lampfount E, the lower end of the said bar being connected with thewick-holder F, which may be of any approved construction, and which isdesigned to hold a wick G upon the central-draft tube H. The upper endof the said member A of the draw-bar is bent outward and screwthreadedto receive a coupling-head I, in the form of a ball, the said head beingconstructed upon its lower face with a socket I to receive the upper endof the outer member A of the bar, and furnished with a set-screw 12, bymeans of which the said member A is firmly connected with the coupling,and hence with the said member A. The bearing-tube C is secured at itsupper and lower ends in the lamp-fount, and so that no oil enters ittherefrom. It is furnished upon its inner face with a section C of acoarse screw-thread, which takes into a coarsely-pitched external threadB ,formed by indenting the operatingscrewB, the said thread extending,as shown, only a little below the center of the tube, the extreme lowerend of which is sleeved over and soldered or'otherwise rigidly securedto the reduced portion J of the operating-nut J, by means of which thetube is rotated in one direction or the other.

The outer member A of the draw bar extends down through the upper end ofthe bearing-tube C, and down through the whole length of theoperating-screw B, and also through the operating-nut J, projectingbeyond the same, which is thereto provided with a central opening J Thelower end of the said member A of the bar is furnished with a shouldera, which bears upon a corresponding shoulder j, formed within thenut,whereby the said member A is prevented from downward movementthrough the nut. The projecting end of the said member is furnished withaknurled finger-piece K, separated from the outer face of the nut by awasher K.

Under the construction just described, the operating-screw and the outermember of the draw-bar are swiveled together at their lower ends, sothat they are coupled together for longitudinal movement, although thenut and tube are left free to rotate together at the same time they arelongitudinally moved.

It should be observed here that the pitch of the screw-threads is socoarse that the operating-screw rotates very readily, but still notfreely enough so but what it frictionally holds the wick-adjuster in anyposition in which it may be left.

Having thus described my improved device, I will now proceed to setforth the method of its operation. Suppose, for instance, that it isdesired to lower the wick by means of the screw. In that case theoperating-nut would be grasped by the fingers and the screw rotated inthe right direction for causing it to descend, as shown by broken lines.In its descent it carries the outer and hence the inner member of thedraw-bar with it, whereby the wick is depressed. Then if the nut andhence the screw are turned in the opposite direction, the screw will beraised and the draw-bar with it. On the other hand,suppose that it isdesired to raise and lower the wick from the under side of the lampunder the direct action of the bar. In that case the finger-piece willbe grasped and the draw-bar drawn directly down, during which time thescrew will follow it and rotate. Then if the draw-bar be raised by meansof the finger-piece, the screw will retate in the opposite direction.So, too, if the upper end of either member of the draw-bar or theircoupling is engaged and the drawbar pulled up and pushed down, in bothof which. cases the screw will move with it, rotating in one directionor the other. The screw, however, will afford but little impediment tothe direct operation of the draw-bar, inasmuch as it rotates in onedirection or the other with very little friction.

The construction shown by Fig. 2 of the drawings illustrates myinvention as applied to a table-lamp, or a lamp in which the wick ismanipulated from the top of the fount. The broken lines of this drawingshow the elevated position of the draw-bar, and thatthe operating-screwmoves with it, and as this construction is on precisely the same principle as the construction shown in Fi g. 1, it is not necessary that it befurther described.

If preferred, a projection upon the inner face of the bearing-tube mighttake the place of a section of a screw-thread, and the outer and innermembers of the draw-bar might be made integral instead of independentand coupled together as shown.

It is apparent, therefore, that in carrying out my invention somechanges from the special construction shown and described. may beresorted. to, and I would therefore have it 1111- derstood thatI do notlimit myself to the exact construction herein shown and described, buthold myself at liberty to make such changes and. alterations as fairlyfall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

I am aware, however, that wick-adjusting devices providing for the quickand fine adjustment of: the wick by means of direct plunging and liftingaction of a draw-bar, and by means of the rotation of a finger-buttonand adapted to be opera-ted from the bottom or the top of a lamp-fountare old, and I do not, therefore, claim such a construction, broad l y.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Let ters Patent, is

1. In a wick-adjuster for central-draft lamps, the combination with thefount and central draft-tube thereof, of a non-rotatable bearing-tubepermanently mounted in the fount, a rotatable and longitudinally-movableoperating-screw located within the said bearing-tube and having anexternal screw-thread coactin g with a thread or projection upon theinner surface thereof, a wick-holder applied to the cent a1 draft-tubeof the lamp, and movable up and down thereon, and a draw-bar composed ofan inner and an outer member, the upper ends of which are detaehablyconnected together, the said. inner member of the draw-bar beingconnected at its lower end with the wick-holder, and the said outermember thereof passing downward into the operating-screw, and havingswivel connection. therewith, but no longitudinal movement independentthereof, substantially as set forth.

2. In a wickadjuster for centraldraft lamps, the combination with thefount, central draft-tube and wick-holder thereof, of a non-rotatablebearing-tube permanently mounted in the fount, a rotatable andlongitudinally-movable operating-screw located within the said tube, andhavin an external.

screw-thread which receives a thread or proj ection located upon theinner face thereof, an operating-nut applied to the lower end of thesaid screw, and having a central opening; a draw-bar composed of aninner and an outer member the projecting upper ends of which aredetachably connected together, thesaid outer member of the draw-barpassing downward through the bearing-tube and screw, projecting belowthe lower ends. thereof and through the said nut, having swivelconnection with the screw, but no longitudinal movement independentthereof, and the inner end of the said bar being connected at its lowerend with the wick-holder; and a finger-piece formed independent of theouter member of the draw-bar, applied to the projectin lower endthereof, and bearing against the said operatingnut, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

NIS JOHNSON. lVitnesses GEO. 1). SEYMOUR, FRED. C. EARLE.

